Lineker goes from soccer star to TV host to liberal champion

By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer

It looks like the BBC picked on the wrong guy. The network went up against a national treasure when it chose to make an example of Gary Lineker by suspending him for criticizing the British government’s asylum policy on Twitter. It quickly became clear there was only going to be one winner as the rapidly moving saga unraveled. Lineker is a former soccer star who has become a smooth-talking, witty TV personality and all-around media darling. The support for him was hardly surprising and something the BBC looks to have underestimated ahead of its inevitable climbdown.